Study Skills!

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So, as it's just under two months until we start the Junior Cert (:eek:) I'd say everyone's starting into the studying.

My year had a "Study Skills Seminar" back in November/December and we were given a booklet on how to study effectively, achieve the best results, etc.

So, I've decided to copy it up here for everyone's benefit.

STUDY SKILLS.

• Improve your memory
• Study timetable
• Study skills
• Exam techniques

REMEMBERING:

• Use as many senses as possible. It is said that we remember about 20% of what we read, 30% of what we hear, 40% of what we see, 50% of what we say, and 60% of what we do. However, we remember 90% of what we read, hear, see, say and do.
• Drawing maps and graphs, summarising chapters using spidograms, with the body being the subject heading and all the spider’s legs being important points – all assist memory.
• One of the most powerful ways of committing information to memory is to tell it to another person. Don’t forget we remember 50% of what we say. So bore family and friends with a description of the characters in Hamlet or the details of Martin Luther’s life or whatever !
• Alternatively, practise for a pretend audience or put information onto an audio tape and then check it.
• Always learn with a question in mind. Look up the exam papers before you begin to study any topic to get an idea of how exam questions are composed. Keep them in mind as you learn.
• Recreating the conditions in which you will be examined is important. We recall best in the same situation in which we learn the material. That is why studying on the bed with the TV on does not aid recall in a silent examination hall. From now on study as if you were in the exam and test yourself as if you were doing an exam paper.
• Always use headings when studying. They guide us though the material and help us to break it down into meaningful units that we are more likely to remember.
• The more often you revise and check and re-check what you have learned, the more you are assisting your memory.
• Use as many mnemonics (aids to memory) as you can – use acronyms to help you remember main points – eg if you wanted to remember the main points such as
Succession, Terror, Anti-Fascist, Land Collectivisation, Industrialisation, No contact with West as the policies of Stalin – use the acronym STALIN
• Avoid distractions. It cannot be said too often how important this is if you are going to learn and recall.
• Every time you finish a study session, check what you have learned or revised and then mentally see how much you recall.
• Prepare flash cards, index cards with summaries and revision headings and memory maps.
• Use every spare moment. Dead time is the term for time that we waste – carry around a few notes for revision – dead time can add up, particularly in the last month.
• Do not be afraid of overcrowding your memory – the more you know – the more you will remember as information will attach itself to other information that you already know.


TIMETABLE.

1. Keep the layout simple – make several blank copies so that you can alter it weekly or as you need to.

2. Keep the timetable realistic but flexible – there will be times when you will not be able to study as you planned. Be able to fit in some extra study sessions if you have to. Divide your time into ‘have to’ and ‘want to’. You have to do certain things. When they are done, you are free to do the things you want to. Balance is the key.

3. Assess how to use your time – average out the time you will spend doing different things.

4. Sleep and rest.

5. Exercise regularly – this is not a luxury. Make sure that you have adequate exercise without making it your sole purpose in life. The body and the mind are inter-connected. Exercise clears the academic fog, keeps you fit, helps you relax, and increases your ability to focus and concentrate.

6. Try to eat a balanced diet.

7. Monitor your prep – work out how many hours you need to spend at prep on a daily or weekly basis. Tick off work as you complete it. Stay ahead of your deadlines – this will give you a sense of doing well.

REVISION.


1. If you haven’t already done so, start NOW ! You can alternate prep with some revision each night.

2. Make a revision timetable. It helps to keep track of each subject and makes sure you don’t give all your time to your best subject and none to your weaker subject. (You should do the opposite !)

3. What is your revision style ? Some people work best on their OWN. Some people work best in a SYNDICATE, where 2/3/4 people revise a topic together (this requires good discipline !)

4. When revising : revise everything on a topic at the same time (class notes, text book, practical …). Revise related topics together. Pause frequently to ask yourself, what do you recall from what you have read, don’t just keep reading on and on …

5. To learn diagrams/labelling/formulae/definitions, etc: look at it in detail until you think that you know it, then cover it up and reproduce it. Check on your attempt. Repeat this at regular intervals.

6. Practise exam questions from past papers. Answers can be jotted down in outline form / bullet points to save time.


EFFECTIVE STUDY:

1. Select the chapter you are going to study/revise.

2. Without looking at the book/notes, give yourself a two minute test of what you already know.

3. Now, throw the paper away, do not correct it, etc. Open up the chapter and skim-read it once.

4. Go back to the beginning and take down some important notes from the chapter, do not copy full sentences, make your notes brief and simple.

5. Read over your notes and then give yourself a three minute test of what you now know!

6. Throw away this test also, file away your notes in a safe place.

7. Take out the notes to review them: the next day, the next week, the next month, the night before the exam.


THE EXAMINATION.

1. Gather all the exam equipment the night before (and don’t try to learn anything new)

2. Be familiar with the layout of the paper beforehand – any compulsory questions, how many need to be answered form each section …. Etc

3. ALLOCATE YOUR TIME ACCURATELY according to the marks per question. This is very important and should be worked out beforehand –( ask your teacher about timing) – you must KEEP to the time decided and then MOVE on (write the times at the top of your exam paper)

4. Read quickly through the exam paper, allow 5/10 minutes for this.

5. Underline key words – know the difference between verbs – comment, compare, explain, list, review, summarise …

6. Jot down any ideas as they occur.

7. Answer your best question first, then second best …

8. Write to the point, not in circles …

9. Don’t leave early, use time to check your paper – more ideas may come to you.

GOOD LUCK!

You can download it here for yourself if you want: http://www.kingshospital.ie/thekingshospital/Files/STUDY%20SKILLS.doc

Luno

Nice one Damien, handy stuff there!
Now I just need to start doing these things!

WanderingSoul

Thanks Damien.

We had a different study skills workshop but I missed all but 5 minutes at the end because I was at the orthodontist.

bluejay14

They only give a study skills thing to the L.C.'s in my school:(

It seems so simple just laid out there in front fo you btu it's soooooo hard to actuallt put into practice.